Hey Wimbledon, it’s time to level the “paying” field

The issue of Wimbledon prize money has been an ongoing issue this year, largely because the women’s draw has offered so little drama. Why should the women get equal prize money, people say, when they are so clearly below the men in terms of depth, quality matches and the actual time spent on court? If you ask me, that argument misses the point. First off, women should be paid equally because it’s the year 2006, not 1922. That’s it, period, end of argument — it is primitive, biased thinking to penalize women when they are clearly just as entertaining, relevant and essential to a specific workplace as men. Equality is the way of the modern world, OK? Forget the nit-picky details. Wimbledon sounds more like India or Iran in this argument than a supposedly progressive sporting body.

If you need more evidence than that, consider the raw entertainment value. A huge part of tennis, whether people want to admit it or not, is sex appeal. Not that the average male tennis fan is wearing a trenchcoat during a Maria Sharapova or Ana Ivanovic match, it’s just that there’s an undeniable allure to female players who have a little more to offer than a cross-court backhand. Right or wrong, people often base judgments on the players’ femininity, looks and apparel. Women also tend to establish feuds more readily than men, and that’s another titillating aspect to their side of the draw. Wow, Sharapova and Dementieva don’t like each other. Mauresmo thinks Henin-Hardenne intentionally wrecked her moment. I hear this player resents such-and-such because she’s gay. Listen, don’t deny it; this is part of the deal. The British tabloids don’t run revealing shots of the female players for nothing; that stuff sells papers.

For me, there’s nothing less appealing than a player like Anna Kournikova, who looks great but has absolutely nothing to offer in terms of tennis or anything else. I find it riveting, though, when a woman plays especially beautiful tennis — an Evonne Goolagong, Hana Mandlikova, Gabriela Sabatini or Amelie Mauresmo.

A few years ago, the first time I ever saw Justine Henin play at Wimbledon, I caught one look at that backhand and was hooked forever. Back in the 1980s, I loved the fact that Martina Navratilova was ushering in a new era in which girls and women could be proud of their athleticism and physical training.

It should be noted, too, that a lack of depth has been an issue in the women’s game as long as I’ve been covering tennis (since around 1977). It’s always about the top eight players, or thereabouts. Big tournaments never really get started until the quarterfinals of the women’s draw. At that point, the level of their entertainment value — even in a match that may not live up to its billing — is every big as strong as the men’s, and quite often considerably more so. For heaven’s sake, level the financial playing field.

THE 3-BLOG LOUNGE: If you haven’t read Andy Murray’s diary in the Sun, you’re not missing much. Here’s a sampling: “After losing on Monday, I went home and got a Pizza Express takeout. I treated myself to double dough balls. I then watched a program about people who sleepwalk and then commit stuff like murders. It was pretty frightening. I don’t sleepwalk but my mum does, while my brother Jamie sleeptalks.” . . . Wait, before we go on to the next item, a word about that last one. Awful! . . . Every year around this time, Navratilova says it’s her last go-round at Wimbledon. “It’s enough. I want to move on to my next life,” she said after advancing in women’s doubles with Liezel Huber yesterday. No chance. I’d bet anything that Martina will be playing doubles here again next year. She will have turned 50, and that would mark a truly historical landmark for excellence and longevity. If she doesn’t win a title this year, she’ll still be in search of number 20, which would break her tie with Billie Jean King for the all-time record. More than anything, she’s still one hell of a doubles player, every bit as good as her opponents in their 20s and 30s. She’ll miss that applause, too. Martina’s life is rich and multi-faceted; she could go in a number of new directions. But there’s nothing like the roar of the crowd at the game’s most cherished setting. See you next year, Martina.